was there again today and had the No. 2 Bigfoot breakfast. The chicken fried steak was good, the hash browns were a crossover of shredded and chopped potatoes and they had a nice flavor. Would have been better with some onion in them. It came with 3 eggs which I ordered over medium. Well the eggs came over easy so sent them back. They came back the same way. Guess they don't know how to do over medium. Anyhow, I got the biscuit which turned out to be two and they were huge. You want to take someone with you to eat there. Do one order and split it. Will be enough for two. 3 stars only due to the double order of runny eggs. Sorry, I forgot to mention the service. It was right on, didn't lack for anything and I wasn't smothered. read more

Since moving, I missed my bears. No not human or animal but the food kind. I used to frequent the Black Bear Diner in Oakley but since moving I had been missing out until I found out Modesto boasts a location not far from mi casa. Came here for an impromptu brunch with my friends and couldn't help but take in the vibe I had been missing out on for months. The waitress was awesome and by awesome I mean she was able to withstand our crazy crew while still keeping a smile on her face. Ok so you're probably thinking that my friends and I are horrible to our servers when in fact I am the only angelic one (probably going to get flack for that comment). We just have a couple of people in our crew that get the serve staff going (you know who you are). The food was as good as I expected it to be and everything about this visit and subsequent visits always remain consistent. So will I be back to this location? Heck yes!! read more

I will have to draft a detailed review in the future but I had some sanitary issues but I did rectify them with the supervisor before leaving. This is a place that really has potential but at 2 years of age, already looks dated. At least I was lead to believe this place has been here around two years. okay this review was supposed to be completed months ago. My biggest worry was seeing a busser clean the exterior of the restaurant, while I sat at my table. I decided to go to the bathroom to wash my hands and the busser came in turned a faucet on and then passed one hand through the water, he dried his hand and left the bathroom. I then sat at my table and watched the busser align the clean silverware at several tables before new guests arrive. the manager I spoke to discounted my meal. But I wont go back there for a few years hopefully the busser will have a new job by then. read more

Wonderful service Julie I did a $5.00 donations to make a wish, and left a $20. Tip great service merry Christmas

We had our annual get together at Black Bear diner on Sunday morning. One person ordered egg whites and that person got scrambled eggs and apparently you were out of egg whites and no one in the kitchen knows how to separate eggs. Two of us ordered the mini volcano and when asked about substituting one waffle for the two pancakes that come with it, we were told there would be a 3.99 up charge to do that. When our plates arrived there was one half of a waffle on the plate. Naturally we sent it back. And the fourth friend ordered the full volcano got no sausage and one raw egg. They finally brought her her sausage but she never got her other egg. The waitress who was a Hispanic young lady threw her hands up in the air at the last plate and said this isn't on me I didn't bring it out! And I beg to differ when you are a waitress or a server in a restaurant it is your job to inspect the plates before they go out to your customers. I don't know who was running the show that day I don't know who was back there trying to cook, but I will never come in your restaurant again. A $4 up charge for a waffle instead of two pancakes it's the same liquid both are made with. Your waitress needs to be taught better manners and better customer service. We were all very disappointed. Not coming back. read more

Wow! People need to learn how to spell before they think that they can write a bad review! If u can't spell, most likely u can not comprehend how to place an order in the first place! haha! I love this place it has the best service around and the staff is always very kind, I have never had any problems with MY orders here. Always fast and friendly, I love it! read more

I had a Chicken Apple Sausage Scramble with jack cheese, spinach, mushroom, and avocado. It was made with egg whites. It also came with fresh fruit and whole wheat toast. It was super yummy! Even though the restaurant was super busy our waitress was always around and always had time to check on us. Everyone else enjoyed their food as well. Other times I have been here I had their huckleberry, chocolate shakes. They are really good. I can't wait to come back and try something new. read more

There's this amazing phenomenon that occurs when I and 2 of my 3 roommates go out - We always end up at Diners/Greasy Spoons. It always happens. Usually, at least one of us will have a hang over. More often than not, one of us will smell, be it last nights drinks, or a camp fire. This time around, it was a campfire. We didn't have a hangover, but sleeping on the ground in a tent with a fairly decent rainstorm, listening to a fellow roommate saw logs in his sleep has about the same effect on a mood as a hangover. So as we drive back from our camping trip, we realize we're hungry, and wish to eat something that wasn't cooked via Tin foil and Embers. Roommate #1 remembers that there is a Black Bear diner in Modesto, and so we proceed to head there. At least it's on the way home. The place was packed. I generally consider this a good sign. However, I was not in a great mood. Thankfully, the cardinal rule of eating in a diner proved true once again - If the line is long, eat at the bar. The cute hostess took our orders, gave us varying degrees of caffeine and so forth. Food took a little, but with how packed the place was, I can understand that. I had a Sourdough burger that was pretty damn good (on the account that I normally don't eat bread), although I was a bit envious of Roommate #2's linguisa plate. So yeah, it's a kitschy diner, with newspaper menus. If you're looking for fine dining, this ain't it. If you're looking for pretty good food for a decent price, this place works just fine. Will have to go to the one in Sacramento and see how it stacks up. read more

Just went to big bear yesterday to go. Our food was HORRIBLE! My husbands eggs Benedict barely had any hollandaise and his eggs were hard on the inside. We came right when the food said it would be ready since were down the street and it seemed like it had just been sitting under a warmer for hours. My sons country fried steak BARELY had any gravy on it and my sons hash browns were burnt. Then my omelet was supposed to have mushrooms, cheese and avacado. There was NO AVACADO and there was so little cheese I wouldnt even taste it. All I could take was mushrooms and egg. I spent over $80 to get ripped off pretty much. NEVER WILL I GO HERE AGAIN! We went to perkos today and spend half the money. WAY BETTER! read more

I'm in the area for business and just drove into town and knew I had to have the always wonderful French toast . 4 slices of heaven, 2 slices of bacon and scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese on top - yum! It's right across the parking lot from my hotel so it couldn't be more convenient too. read more

Black Bear Diner Modesto - French Toast - Diners Near Me - Modesto, California

Was here for after church lunch.. Waited only about 10 min for party of 8. I had never eaten here before. They have a good assortment, a little of everything.. I had the spicy fish tacos ( grilled tilapia), tasty although my corn tortillas were soggy.. The avacado chicken club looked really good.. I had a bite of that.. And my daughters tri tip dip didn't look that great.. A little sparse and the aus jus tasted different .. A little greasy.... Burgers looked good ... All in all I would say a good affordable family style restaurant... read more

I am very happy that we finally have a Black Bear Diner nearby! My wife and I counted the number of Black Bear Diners we have been to: eight. According to our waitress this one opened March 22, 2010. I think some of the problems experienced by earlier reviewers may have been resolved by the staff gaining experience. We had none of the problems mentioned by them. The food was up to the standards of the other Black Bear's we have been to and we had a friendly, knowledgeable waitress. We even had the pleasure of getting to see pictures of her son!. It turned out to be a pleasant evening out with our new son in law (who had never been to a Black Bear before.) read more

We've eaten at a Black Bear before (different town), so we thought it would be good. It wasn't. They warned that the portions were very large. No kidding. No one could eat the taco salad I ordered. I asked for sour cream (who doesn't put sour cream on a taco salad?) and jalepenos on the side. When they delivered, they said they were out of jalepenos. Fellow was apologetic, but didn't offer to take it back. Also forgot the sour cream. Didn't like the way the food came out, either. My honey and our friends ordered a bowl of soup and my honey and one of the friends ordered a half sandwich to go with. They first brought out the soup/sandwiches. Then they brought my taco salad, sans sides. Sandwiches and soups were very nearly done by the time they brought out the single bowl of soup - my sour cream also came very late. When the young lady dropped off the check, she asked how everything was, I replied horrible - she couldn't run away faster. When we went up to pay, I noticed the manager was at the cash register and I shared our horrible dining experience. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that he took half the bill off. That was not my intent, but it was a nice gesture. We were just visiting Patterson, but our friends who live there? Don't think they'll be back. read more

I downgraded them, and maybe I shouldn't. I had the fresh (not canned) corned beef hash again with home fries. The potatoes were better, and the hash was still as good as ever -- it's just that they gave me such a skimpy serving of it I wondered what was wrong. Especially after having been there at the opening when they served far too much of it -- and they still charge the same price -- I was disappointed. Another disappointment: I whipped out my iPod and saw they have guest WiFi, but it didn't work. One further remark: I read someone else's review complaining about the unhealthiness of the food. Um, you don't go to a place calling itself a "diner" expecting to eat the kind of food served at Café Gratitude, or even Fresh Choice. read more

We love this place. I know they are sort of a chain, but this is the only one I have ever tried so I base my rating on this location alone. There really isn't much to say. The portions are huge and very tasty. I have Chicken Fried Steak breakfast and it was perfect and enough really for 2 people. My wife had a burger that she said was quite good as well. As far as diners go, this one is a keeper. read more

Came in for breakfast. I didn't expect much to begin with, but the hostess was cold and didn't even say hello. I had to tell her hi for her to say it back. I also had to ask how long the wait would be since it seemed like she didn't want to be there. Why be rude if you're getting paid to greet people? At least smile. The food was okay. Nothing special. They made me the wrong eggs too, but it wasn't a big deal and I ate them anyway. Overall the waitress I had was really nice and always checking up on us. read more

Came to this black bear diner because I discovered the one in Turlock. I came here thinking it was the same (customer service wise) I went in just now and was "greeted" by the *M I S E R A B L E* girl with long eye lashes and a bow in her. I asked her for the bathroom after giving my name and she rudely pointed me to it. As I walked to the bathroom I saw all the EMPTY tables all set ready for someone to be seated. I wasn't understanding why I'm the world there was even a wait time. I left after waiting knowing there were actually seats because it wasn't even full. Note to self, never return here. read more

My wife and I decided to try black bear diner in Modesto. It was around 7:00 pm on Wednesday 10/23/19. The first thing we noticed was there were not many people in the restaurant. The resteraunt was clean, and the staff were very friendly. My wife and I both ordered the meatloaf dinner. The dinner salad was mostly lettuce with 2 whole slices of tomato and about 4 slices of cucumber. The salad should have been more diced up for easy consumption, and we only had about 5 minutes before our waiter brought our dinner out. The meatloaf was cold and had little taste. The mashed potatoes were warm, and tasted ok. The broccoli and carrots were very tuff. The cost of these 2 meals with 2 drinks was approximately $40.00 and seemed like nothing more than a microwaveable TV dinner. We was very disappointed to say the least. This was actually my first visit to Black bear diner, and more than likely my last. read more

Food is okay, but is expensive I don't think is worth speeding the much money, service okay. read more

Black Bear Diner Modesto - Diners Near Me - Modesto, California

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Started off great. Waitress was on point. Then she had to go on break. Theres where it got bad. There were 4 of us. Only 3 meals arrived. Took 15 minutes for the 4th meal to arrives after we told them we were missing a meal. Once that 4th meal arrived, we never saw a waiter again. No drink refills, no plate removal, no to go boxes. We literally had to carry our take home food to the register on our plate to get a box. Then we were just told a price. I had to ask to see the ticket. He said im sorry we missed your table, but a big bus of people came in. I said, how nice, we were there before them. Horrible, horrible service. They were paying attention to the bus people, about 20 of them, and totally forgot about our table. Shame on you, Black Bear, shame on you. Small tables give big tips too, but not tonight, you got no tip. read more

Worst food ever!! Its like they dont even try! Lol subpar food to say the least! Dennys is better and thats pretty sad lol gross biscuits and gravy , gross ribeye steak so thin and not seasoned well my kid LOVES PANCAKES AND HE TOOK 2 BITES AND DIDNT FINISH THEM! DONT GO HERE read more

Black Bear Diner Modesto - Gross cold biscuits and gravy!!! Totally disgusting - Diners Near Me - Modesto, California

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This place is disgusting and it's tragic looking at people eating their lives away with awful and insanely unhealthy food. I almost ordered the ribs with fries, which I expected to be an unhealthy 1200-1500 calories, but was willing to do because I had just finished a 3 day backpacking trip. I curiously looked it up on my phone and discovered that meal was 2450 calories with 170 grams TRANS fat and 4200 mg of sodium. I ended up getting their "small portion ribs" with baked potato, for a mere 1500 calories, since I had already gotten excited for ribs. When I got them, the ribs were gray, lacked any natural meat flavor, and were absolutely gross. They were like tofu with some bbq sauce slapped on at the last second. I ate a single rib and left the rest. Allegedly, I am an idiot for ordering $11 ribs at a diner full of morbidly obese folk. My friends ordered sandwiches that were somewhat tolerable from a health and taste standpoint. read more

I keep wanting to like this place, but I can't, due to the food. We always receive great service, but...the food, the food!! Hash browns under done and greasy, when we asked for them extra crispy Eggs under cooked to the point where the whites were runny The bacon was so salty that it was not edible, as if they had salted the bacon while it cooked. I left bacon on my plate when we left, which I have never done in my life. This place disappoints every time read more

Went here on a friend's recommendation. The 1st problem with this place is the menu itself. It's a piece of newspaper. No pictures and vague descriptions of the food. Ordered the pork ribs/tri tip "sandwich" dinner combo for $15. Also ordered a chocolate malt. The malt was the best I have ever had, hence the 1 star. The tri tip was absolute leather. Could not get the knife through it. And it was not a sandwich, just 3 pieces of meat on the plate. Sent it back and got replacement meat that was decent, but still too tough. The ribs were absolute dog food. Nothing but fat and gristle. Maybe 3 edible bites out of the whole rack. Worst "ribs" I have ever had. Don't go here if you want quality meat. Go to BJ's. Go here if you want a GREAT chocolate malt, but bring your own straw because the one they give you is a joke. Overall a very gross meal. read more

20 years ago we stopped at a Black Bear Diner elsewhere in California. I hated it and said I would never dine at another Black Bear. Recently some friends said Black Bear is much improved and I should try it again. We went to the Plaza Pkway location in Modesto. The place was clean, and the service was good. Being seniors we tried the "A little less" portion of the menu. I had tri-tip and my wife had pot roast. We both really enjoyed our food both in terms of quality and quantity. The only thing I could criticize was my tri-tip was just a bit on the chewy side, although the seasoning was quite tasty. We were all done at a price that doesn't kill our retirement budget. We'll definitely return to this place again before long. read more

A new place in Modesto I'm cool with that, like to check new places out. I got the chicken fried steak, was good for breakfast but looks like it came frozen not fresh made because this is a chain, not a mom and pop shop. Coffee was refilled often and the meal was good not great. I might be back but a once a month kinda vist place. On a side note yelp is for people express their dinning experience, it is not a place to trash other people. read more

Stumbled upon BBD off the highway coming from Yosemite. We noticed it on the drive there and told ourselves we would check it out. It's a large family restaurant. The menu Is in a fake newspaper. I ordered the chicken pot pie and it was delicious and less than $10. Can't really beat a fast cheap meal. It was a good lunch pit stop on the way home. Bring a jacket because the AC is blasting inside. read more

Came here for breakfast on Saturday morning around 10 and we were seated within 30 minutes. The servers are polite and very nice but unfortunately the breakfast wasn't so great. We ordered Shasta scramble and California omelette and neither of them were good. The hash browns were nothing like hash browns I've ordered from other places. They did have good coffee though! Overall our experience was okay. I'd like to try their lunch or dinner menu in the future but most likely not their breakfast again. Love all the bear decorations though!! read more

So disappointed. Not at the staff or this location. Really this is a corporate disappointment. Traveling through on the freeway and stopped in to get two bear claws to go. A bear claw with the hot coffee in out to go mugs sounded like a great road trip snack. Wrong. The bear claw dough was not made from scratch. Tasted like card board and chemicals. We had hoped heating up the claws would have helped but adding heat to chemically tasting dough and no flavor berry filling or apple filling doesn't help. Can't improve beyond the quality of ingredients used to make the food item. With the abundance of free cooking info available online these days, someone needs to watch America's Test Kitchen on how to make bear claws. You'd be better off going to Starbucks and eating their horrible pastry treats. Can't speak for the rest of the Black Bear Diner menu items. read more

There are so many delicious meals to choose from! The sweet cream pancakes are my favorite so far.... It's not 5-star cuisine, but the value for our dollar is fantastic. And finally, the superb service is what keeps us coming back! We feel like family there, from the servers to cooks, cashiers to managers...everyone is always warm & welcoming. Ask to sit in Paula's section...she's our fave server! read more

This place used to have excellent service. There was five or six tables dirty and some empty and a whole line of people waiting to sit and eat. Just no organization here, the floors are dirty, the table was dirty, when I sat to eat with my daughter there was no silverware, and the ones we got were dirty. There was no condiments on the table I had to ask for everything. The waitress was nice but she took forever and forgot a lot of things. I also felt rushed like they were trying to get me to leave early. Very ridiculous how they just want your money and don't deliver on service. The only reason I come here anymore is the food. read more

I hope you're hungry! Huge portions! Great food! Buy a personal pie for later! I wish I lived closer to this joint! I am definitely coming back! The pancakes are very tasty! The bisquits and gravy are to die for! Fresh squeezed orange juice! Even my Arnold Palmer was delicious! You can't go wrong eating here! read more

When I travelled to Modesto for business, the first thing I checked out was if there was a Black Bear in the area. I was happy to see one a short drive from the hotel. Like many restaurants at this time, they were short staffed, but the hustle from the staff made up for any shortfall they had. I Enjoyed a Bob's Big Bear Burger. Perfectly cooked, hot and tasty. I often check the website to see how close they are coming to Cincinnati. Keeping my fingers crossed. read more

Eh, not as impressed as I thought I would be. The service was quick and nice. My 3 year old sons Mac and Cheese came out cold on one side and luke warm on the other. Luckily he didn't care. My husband ordered the Chicken Tortellini and he took a few bites and was finished. The chicken was wayy overcooked and like cardboard he said. I ordered the Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, and Gravy and thought it was just ok but lukewarm again. Nothing special that a frozen Marie Calanders dinner couldn't beat. The veggies that came with mine were mushy, flavorless, and not edible in my opinion. The salad before hand was blah, we both didn't touch it. Lettuce, cucumbers, red onions, and shredded carrots - boring. I'll probably go back there one more time for breakfast, but I was pretty unimpressed for dinner. Bummer. read more

Well first, being in the Army, we've eating at a lot of places and a lot of different kind/ styles of food. But the Black Bear Diner in Modesto, has to be a favorite for quantity and quality. Our awesome server Serena was more than welcoming... She was full of spirit and joy when she greeted us at 7pm. Having worked ALL day, she was the light of our life. The food was great but what made our night, was Serena. Catering to our military appetites and the need for great conversation, she is the reason we will be back. Rad Rick. read more

This is supposed to come with bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms. Literally got none of that. The menu stated that's what it comes with. Broccoli and carrots came on top of it. Felt as if my breakfast was a dinner? The waitress said that the veggies that come on it aren't seasonal so that's why we got something else. Talked to the manager and she said they had everything back there and that we should've got the correct veggies. Beyond irritated. Knocked $10 off which wasn't even a full meal and we got two of these. The waitress was no help at all. read more

Black Bear Diner Modesto - Diners Near Me - Modesto, California

Visited Black Bear this morning and had a take out order. The person that took my order was so kind and professional. Her name was Josephina. She was so sweet and the food was warm and delicious. I was very surprised on how good it was and the service was great. For just a few dollars more than McDonald's I am happy to say this is now my go to for a great take out breakfast. Thank you Josephina. read more

I think for breakfast this place is ok. Though there are other places in Modesto I'd prefer to eat, this was just ok. The wait was crazy, thankfully there was only 2 of us. I'm guessing between it being Sunday morning AND the restaurant being new, the wait was typical for now. The portions are huge, there is no denying that. We waited so long for our food though, we were full from all of the coffee poured for us! Husband had a basic 2 egg breakfast with hash browns and a biscuit. HUGE! I regretted not getting this, I opted for the pancake volcano breakfast. Pancakes are very good alone, I would've easily eaten them without syrup. We both commented how we could have shared either plate and been full. The service is ok. There are some servers that are friendly as hell, then there are the ones that are crotchety as hell. That's who we had, the lady that probably has been serving her entire life and doesn't take crap. I kept having to remind her I had decaf (prego) and she kept getting irritated. Maybe if someone would've given me a different mug, or one of those coasters this all could have been avoided. I think another reviewer commented how this is a chain, and it's run just like that. No personal service, no homey feeling, nothing. read more

Fast friendly service and reasonable price. I've tried several things on the menu and so far, everything was excellent. Went just for the banana split last time. Definitely worth the trip! read more

I think the public should know the good places from the bad places and this is one of the good ones we go there all the time we have a great server we always ask for Craig definitely get the best bang for your buck good food good portions at a good price read more